Corporates Get Codes, Workers Get Cold Shoulders
While other nations debate four-day workweeks, India proudly marches backwards with a shiny new gift—72-hour work weeks. The government's four new labour codes promise "landmark reforms," but lakhs of workers across the country aren't exactly celebrating. On November 26th—Constitution Day, ironically—factories, coal mines, and textile sectors shut down in protest.
The old labour laws gave workers some breathing room: 8-hour days, the right to strike, and union protections.
The new labour code reforms? A masterclass in corporate generosity!
Now companies can fire 300 workers without government approval, up from 100; demand 12-hour workdays; require 60-day strike notices; and convert permanent jobs into "fixed-term employment."
Meanwhile, minimum wage remains a mystery number, gig workers get vague "social security" promises, and women's benefits now extend to in-laws—because why not add unpaid caregiving to exploitation?
Trade unions call it the "most aggressive dismantling of workers' rights".
